Yuliya Levchenko clears 2.02m, photo by Getty Images /European Athletics
This is the day 2 report from the IAAF’s Bob Ramsak. We have a paragraph then link to the full piece on the IAAF site. It was a very impressive second day.
Yuliya Levchenko cleared 2.02 to take an upset victory in the high jump to highlight the second day of The Match, a duel between the United States and a united European squad in Minsk, Belarus, on Tuesday (9).
Levchenko, 21, was on fire, produceing a flawless scorecard in seven leaps up to and including her winning height which added one centimetre to the personal best she set at the World Championships in London two years ago. She bowed out at 2.04m, but with one especially close attempt, showed that that height was well within her capabilities this season.
“Now I’m going to Doha,” said Levchenko, who jumped to surprise silver in London two years ago. “It will be new start, new way and, of course, new results. I hope that everything will go on the best way.”
The Ukrainian also inflicted a rare defeat upon Mariya Lasitskene, the reigning world champion, who topped 1.98m but couldn’t finish better than third, taking a back seat to another Ukrainian jumper, Iryna Herashchenko, who also topped 1.98m, just one centimetre shy of the career best she set earlier this season.
That top-three finish for Team Europe was one of several for the ‘hosts’, contributing to their convincing 724.5 to 601.5 victory in what organisers hope will be a regular fixtures on the international calendar.
Another came in the men’s javelin competition, dominated by world champion Johannes Vetter.
The German reached a 90.03m season’s best in the third round, his first blast beyond 90 metres this year. He is just the second man to throw beyond that barrier in 2019; the other, Magnus Kirt, was second with 88.91m on a night that clearly belonged to Vetter who backed up his big throw with 88.31m, 88.03m and 87.68m efforts.
To read all of this article on day 2 of The Match, please go to: https://www.iaaf.org/news/report/levchenko-202m-minsk-match
